Not long after Lawrence High’s boys basketball season ended in the sub-state finals last year, the Lions felt like they had some unfinished business. They weren’t going to be satisfied with anything short of a state title.


Now they are one win away from achieving what they set out to do all year long.


“It’s a bit like a fairy tale,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said after his team beat Shawnee Mission North, 78-64, in the state semifinals on Friday night at Wichita State’s Koch Arena.


Privately, the Lions were hoping for another chance against Wichita East. They wanted to avenge their loss in the Topeka Invitational Tournament championship game, and they wanted to prove they are the top team in the state. They got their wish when the Aces held off Olathe East for a 59-52 victory.


“Real excited. That’s the matchup we wanted, you know,” senior guard Anthony Bonner said. “It’s going to be real fun, play on their home turf this time and hopefully we can come out with a win.”


Now the Lions are back in the state championship game for the first time since 2008, and they are looking to bring home a state title for the first time since 1995.


“We’ve had our eyes on the state championship since last year,” junior forward Price Morgan said. “It’s just so satisfying after all of the hard work in the summer, tryouts, the early games. Now we’re finally here and we’re ready to make something happen.”


In case you missed it, we’re copying one of the popular features of KUsports.com, “Keegan’s Ratings,” where Sports Editor Tom Keegan ranks KU football and men’s basketball players after every game he attends and I’m bringing back the high school ratings for this basketball season. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, jr. — When the Lions needed a lift, Roberts was there to pick his teammates up and help lift them to a victory. He was the only starter on the floor for most of the second quarter and he scored seven of the Lions’ 10 points in the period, helping LHS keep its lead. He finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with three assists and four rebounds while also playing solid defense on the perimeter.


“Justin stepped up really big,” Bonner said of Roberts. “That’s what great players do. That’s what leaders do. He’s a great leader, he’s a great player and he stepped up and carried us through that first half. Then, we came back in the second half and played really good team ball and got it done.”


2. Anthony Bonner, sr. — In the first half, Bonner guarded SM North’s leading scorer Michael Weathers and held him to 0-for-8 shooting in the first half. In the second half, Bonner went to work on the other end of the court and scored 16 of his 20 points. He knocked down a pair of threes, found lanes to the rim and did a good job getting to the free throw line. He added six rebounds and two assists.


3. Ben Rajewski, sr. — Not only did Rajewski play solid defense, keeping himself between his man and the basket, but he also had some timely shots. He drilled a three-pointer midway through the second quarter and another one early in the third quarter to keep increasing the Lions’ lead. Though he spent most of the game in foul trouble and fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, he had eight points, a rebound and an assist.


4. John Barbee, sr. — Barbee only played one minute in the first half because of foul trouble, but he didn’t pick up a foul in the second half despite playing strong defense. He scored eight points, including six straight in the third quarter. He also had five rebounds and an assist.


5. Logan Applegate, sr. — With Price Morgan in foul trouble, Applegate came off of the bench and he was a huge rim protector against a team that loves to drive to the rim. He couldn’t get his shot to fall, with a couple of layups blocked by SM North defenders, but he grabbed four offensive rebounds which led to his buzzer-beating layup at the end of the third quarter and an extra four points in the fourth quarter.


6. Price Morgan, jr. — Morgan fouled out early in the fourth quarter, but he still made a huge impact in his 19 minutes on the court. He had six points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot. He had to earn all seven of those rebounds, boxing out hard and fighting through defenders to grab the ball.


7. Fred Brou, jr. — Brou was ready to take on SM North drives to the basket by affecting shots with his shot-blocking ability. He only had one block, but he altered a few more. When the Indians were on a big run in the fourth quarter, desperately trying to make a comeback, Brou essentially ended the game with a fast-break dunk with 1:18 left.


8. Anthony Harvey, jr. — The Lions needed Harvey with most of the starters on the bench, and he did a great job with ball stability on offense, avoiding SM North’s trap defense. He had one play where he was about to get double-teamed, fell the court, and somehow slip-and-slided right out of the trap. He missed his only shot, a three-pointer, but he had two rebounds.


9. Jackson Mallory, so. — Mallory entered at the end of the first half when some of his teammates were in foul trouble and played tough defense. He kept the ball moving on offense, and missed his only shot, a three-pointer from the right corner. He also had a rebound in six minutes.


10. Tae Shorter, sr. — The 5-foot-9 guard buried a three in the final minute, scoring the final LHS points of the contest. He said he had a goal this year of winning two state titles in Wichita: one in basketball and one in the triple jump during track season. He’s one game away from being halfway there.


11. Kyle Hoffman, sr. — Hoffman played one minute in the fourth quarter and he picked up a foul.


12. Kobe Buffalomeat, so. — Buffalomeat entered in the final minute and didn’t record any stats.


• Next up: 6:15 p.m. today vs. Wichita East in the state championship. Record: 23-1.
*
As always, feel free to comment, email me, or find me on Twitter @nightengalejr.